Let's hope that North Carolina State (19-12, 9-9) makes a strong enough run in the ACC tournament to gain consideration for the NCAA's version in a few weeks so we can better appreciate the season of sophomore forward T.J. Warren, recent winner of the conference's player of the year award, ESPN reported. Jabari Parker finished second with 25 votes to Warren's 48.

The 6-foot-8 Warren, projected to go 17th in next year's draft by NBAdraft.net, not only led the conference in scoring at an un-collegiate 24.8 ppg (third best in the country), but did so on 53 percent shooting from the field (which would have been better if he had minimized his three-plus three-point field goal attempts per game and/or the 30 percent rate at which he hit them) and 71 percent from the line. He also added seven rebounds to his per game averages.

Admittedly, I didn't pay much attention to the bottom half of the ACC Conference this year other than occasional glances at Maryland (17-14, 9-9), mostly because of their string of near-upsets and eventual breakthrough against #6 Virginia (26-5, 16-2). Thus, Warren's near 25 points per game were absorbed by the suddenly top-heavy ACC now that Virginia is among four programs in the top 15 (along with Duke, Syracuse, and North Carolina).

Also absorbed were Warren's back-to-back 40 point games in the Wolfpack's last two wins of the year -- victories that essentially preserved any chance of them making the tournament. (In the three games before, Warren had put in 31, 36, and 20 points, respectively -- meaning the young man is hot at the right time.) According to ESPN, NC State needs to win the conference tournament to make the dance. More likely, they'll have a shot to jump CBS's last four in (Xavier, Arkansas, Providence, and Tennessee) with a run to the finals. That route would give them wins over Syracuse and Duke (assuming Duke qualifies), or meaningful victories that are currently completely lacking from their resume.

N.C. State at least deserves credit for the way they've lost games, especially recently: Clemson (19-11, 10-8) March 2 in double overtime on the road, Syracuse Feb. 24 by 2, Duke Feb. 15 by 2 on the road, Virginia Feb. 10 by 2 on the road, and Connecticut in the first game of the year by 1 on a neutral floor.

If N.C. State wins two or three games in the tournament, will the jewel of Warren's scoring touch give them the tiebreaker over less star-laden teams (like basically every one that's currently on the bubble)? I hope so.